Why Morgan Sanson would be a brilliant signing for West Ham

Back in July, L’Equipe (h/t Football London) claimed that Marseille had offered West Ham the chance to sign Morgan Sanson, as they needed to balance the books after failing to qualify for the Champions League. In the end, however, no deal materialized and he stayed put at Marseille.

Morgan Sanson, 25, has established himself as one of the most exciting midfield players in France. He has been a regular fixture at Marseille since joining from Montpellier in January 2017, managing five goals and three assists in 33 games last season.

The Frenchman has hit the ground running in the new campaign, racking up three goals and two assists in 18 Ligue 1 games already. With Sanson once again enjoying an impressive season with Marseille, West Ham must renew their interest in the midfielder when the transfer window reopens next month.

The Hammers’ latest setbacks came on Boxing Day against Crystal Palace, who managed to come from 1-0 down to win 2-1, thanks to a cracking late goal from Jordan Ayew. That was followed by another crushing defeat at the hands of Leicester City.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have managed to win just five of their 19 games and sit only a point above the relegation zone in 17th place. They have struggled despite spending big in the summer on striker Sebastien Haller and attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals. However, West Ham are an attack-heavy side and seem to lack balance at times.

To put things into perspective, the east London outfit are in dire need of midfield reinforcements. Carlos Sanchez has been a total flop at the club, Mark Noble is ageing and Jack Wilshere hasn’t pulled up trees since arriving on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2018. Plus, the Hammers didn’t replace Pedro Obiang before the start of the season.

Declan Rice, who has been a mainstay in the Hammers’ midfield, needs a reliable player beside him and keeping that in mind, the Londoners should go for Morgan Sanson in January.

A central midfielder by trade, Sanson is capable of playing anywhere across the midfield and has the ability to complement the tough-tackling Rice. The 25-year-old has real potential to get even better and he has notched a decent return of three goals and two assists already this season.

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As per WhoScored, the Frenchman has averaged 1.9 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 0.3 blocks in Ligue 1, which demonstrates the defensive edge in his game. With 1.3 key passes made and a pass success rate of 85.1%, Sanson would be a perfect fit at the London Stadium.

Verdict

Sanson would not only add more energy to Pellegrini’s midfield but will also improve the overall depth of the Hammers squad. Thus, West Ham must seriously consider signing the Marseille ace in January.